Improvement in machine for sowing- rice



s i. x lessees titited tant aimtidftite.

" Messeseweb@ .'T. D. .DOTTE RER, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

Letters Patent No. 85,57 4, dated Jamal/ry 5, 1869.

' l'he Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ofthe same.

To ali whom 'it may conce/rn:

Be it known that I, T.D.DOTTERER, of Charleston, in the district ofCharleston, and State of South Carolina, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Rice-Sowing Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable those skilled in the art to make and'nsc the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of my improvedrice-sowing machine.

Figure 2 is a section of the same through the line :t x, iig. 1.

' Figure 3 is Va detail section ofthe same through ythe line y y, iig.l.

Figure 4 is a detail section' through the line z z,

fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the adjustable pinion.

Figure 6 is a detail section of one of the trenchingplows. l

Similar-'letters of reference indicate corresponding arts. p The objectof this machine is to sow rice in a more perfect and effective manner,and consists of the mechanism and arrangement of the same, all of'whichwill be duly set forth in the iollowing. I

The general fraineot' the machine consists oi the side frames A A,atlixed to cross-pieces E D D, the prolongation of the side framesforming ythe sha-its C C, as shown. y

The draught-wheels M N revolve on an axlerod,f1f, which latter isaiiixed below the side frames A A by means of lng-plates, similar to ahangingbearing. The rod, however, is rigid, and the wheels-revolve uponit. Mis the drive-wheel, and the prolongation H of its hnb-sleeveterminates in a gear-wheel, l, which is provided with severalconcentric-toothed rims g, cast upon its side, for the purpose ofengaging with the pinion J, which latter is atlixed on the shaft K by apin.

This pin passes through a hole in the sleeve or hub of the pinion, and'there being several. holes 1n the shaft K to correspond to the severaltoothed rims g, the said pinion may be adjusted to engage with any oneof the said rims, when it is desired to alter the vspeed of thefeed-mechanism, which is driven by shaft O, in each hopper, as shown, sothat,by means ofthe said helical threads, the rice is made to dischargeor sow into the trenches, in a uniform and equable manner.

When it is desirable to increase or diminish the discharge, the machineis stopped, and the pinion J is moved to another' hole, q, on the shaftK. (See iig. 5.) The said pinion will then engage with another toothedrim, g, of the wheel I, and the feed of the threads-m will be increasedor diminished, accordingas the toothed rim is without or within the onewhich was previously in gear with the pinion J..

The trcnching-plows consist of a hollow part, H', which is provided atthe lower end with wings Q Q.

The rice falls from the pipes Pinto these trenchingplows, and, infalling, strikes against a scattering surface, h', (see fig. 6,) and isscattered backward into the trench. v

` The wings Q serve to form this trench, and also to limit thescattering of the rice to the width of the trench.

The wings and the'front of the lower end of the part H combine to form ahoof-shaped trenching-plow,

which forms the wide, shallow trench requisite for planting rice.

There are four of these plows, each of which is at the end of a link, L,as shown, the said links being hinged or pivoted byhinge-platesj,`atlixed to the crossplank l, underneath the cross-bar Dof the frame.

rlhe draught-wheels are placed within side framesA of the machine, forthe express purpose of enabling the outer plows torun near to theditches, while the proximate wheel is at a sutliciently safe distancefrom the ditch. 1

The plows are braced by a link, u, connecting each plow with itshinge-link L, as shown.

The plows are lifted by chains t', which are attached to the links L andto the wheel U, or any suitable sector, on a shaft, V, turning inuprights t, arising from the side frames A, as shown.

The shaft K, of the pinionls J and (a, has bearings in the plates h andp, the former being aiiixed to the axlebolster G, which latter isaliixed by'a bolt to the axlerod and the middle brace F ofthe frame, asshown.

The pinion 'a gears with the wheelW on the rod or shaft It, which bearsthe helical threads my, and thus communicates motion to the saidthreads.

The plows are lifted-and lowered by means of alever, S, connected, by arod, a, with the arm b of the shaft V, bearing the chain-wheels U, asshown.

A' ratchet-pawl, i, on the said lever, catches in a,

ratchet-sector, lt, atiixed to the middle brace F, as shown.

A clutch, c, operated by a-lever, d, as shown, serves to throw thefeeding-mechanism in gear with the shaft K.

The driver, sitting upon the seat T, can operate the clutch-lever d withhis foot, or the lever` S with one hand, and so have the machine undercomplete control.

By means of this improved machine, I am enabled to sow rice with moreperfect results, running near the ditohfand over any inequality in theground, without interrupting the sowing of the rice, and scattering;`the rice evenly along the bottoms of the trenches in a inanner conduciveto good results.

VI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combinationand arrangement of the sleeve H,

pinion I, bearing the series of concentric-toothed rings g, adjustablepinion J, inclined shaft K, pinion fu, gear- Wheel NV, shaft 7c, bearingthe two sets of helical threads m in the lioppers, the plows H',suspended by the bars L upon the cross-bar D of the frame, and operatedby the' chains t', Wheels U upon the shaft V, connectingrod a, and adjnstable lever S, as herein described, for the purpose specified.

T. I). DOTTERER.

l/Vitnesses: Y V V T. D. EAsoN,

JOSEPH LAMBLE.

